Forever Filly

Forever Filly
Season №:	7
Season episode №:	6
Overall episode №:	149
Original airdate:	May 6, 2017[aired early in Canada] May 13, 2017 (Discovery Family)
Written by:	Michael P. Fox and Wil Fox
Storyboard:	Marta Demong and Desirae Salmark
Featured characters:	Sweetie Belle Zipporwhill
See also
credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation
Episode guide
Previous Fluttershy Leans In	Next Parental Glideance

Forever Filly is the sixth episode of season seven of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the one hundred and forty-ninth overall. The title is a play on the expression "forever young", which is frequently used in film, television, and music.

In this episode, Rarity attempts to spend quality time with Sweetie Belle, unaware that she's not a little filly anymore. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo attempt to help Zipporwhill reconnect with her pet dog Ripley.

Production

This episode aired on Canada's Treehouse TV channel on May 6, 2017, one week ahead of its scheduled premiere on Discovery Family.^[1]

Zipporwhill's dog Ripley was randomly named after Jim Miller's dog of the same name, and he bears a resemblance to Denny Lu's dog Miso.^[2][3]

Summary

Rarity misses Sweetie Belle

The episode begins in Canterlot, where Sassy Saddles frantically tries to get Canterlot Carousel ready for the transition from winter to spring fashions. Rarity, on the other hand, remains calm and collected, providing Sassy with everything she needs to get the boutique ready. Once Rarity assures Sassy that everything will be fine, Sassy calms down. Underneath her fabrics, Rarity discovers an old photograph of herself and Sweetie Belle and remembers the fun they used to have together. Realizing it has been quite some time since their last outing as sisters, Rarity gets overemotional.

"I miss my Sweetie Belle!"

— Rarity

Rarity goes through an old photo album of the previous times she and Sweetie Belle spent quality time together, sobbing over their recent drifting apart. Sassy suggests that Rarity visit Sweetie Belle and reconnect with her while she oversees the boutique's winter-to-spring transition on her own. Rarity eagerly agrees, looking forward to spending the day with Sweetie Belle and doing her favorite things.

Sisters and cutie marks

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, the Cutie Mark Crusaders help a colt named Chipcutter with his cutie mark problem: realizing his potential as a sculptor. They bring him a large stone block, and he carves a sculpture of the Crusaders from it, causing him to earn his cutie mark.

The Crusaders return to their clubhouse after successfully solving another cutie mark problem, and they prepare to help Zipporwhill reconnect with her pet dog Ripley after they recently drifted apart. However, before the Crusaders can help Zipporwhill, Rarity arrives to spend time with Sweetie Belle. After Rarity's overeager entrance, Sweetie Belle can't bring herself to turn her away in favor of helping Zipporwhill, but Apple Bloom and Scootaloo encourage Sweetie to spend the day with her sister while they help Zipporwhill by themselves.

Rarity's "baby" sister

In their first activity together, Rarity takes Sweetie Belle to see a puppet show put on by Claude the puppeteer. Rarity is certain that Sweetie would enjoy it as much as she used to, but Sweetie's interest in the puppet show is mild. Next, Rarity takes Sweetie Belle to her old favorite ice cream shop, where she has even brought the shop's original owner out of retirement to make Sweetie's favorite dessert. While Sweetie's tastes have changed since she was younger, she indulges her sister's efforts so as not to disappoint her.

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Zipporwhill attempt to entice Zipporwhill's dog Ripley with puppy toys, but the grown dog looks uninterested.

Later, Rarity takes Sweetie Belle to where balloon artist Twisty Pop is making balloon animals, unaware that Sweetie Belle is uninterested in the childish activities. When Sweetie sees the other Crusaders and Zipporwhill nearby, she confides in her friends that she doesn't feel like Rarity knows her anymore. Likewise, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are having little progress in helping Zipporwhill.

Growing up

In their next sister activity, Rarity and Sweetie Belle have a photoshoot in childish costumes. When Rarity notices Sweetie Belle frowning in every photo, Rarity suggests a reshoot, but Sweetie Belle refuses. She finally confesses to Rarity that she's not having fun and that she's outgrown the activities they have been doing. When Rarity insists that Sweetie Belle loves those activities, Sweetie realizes Rarity doesn't know her at all and runs off. At the same time, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's lack of progress with Ripley causes Zipporwhill to doubt her cutie mark, and she comes to the conclusion that her puppy doesn't love her anymore.

Rarity considers Sweetie Belle ungrateful and unappreciative for the day she had planned for the two of them, and she follows her sister to lecture her. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle finds Zipporwhill sulking by herself and crying over her seemingly unfriendly puppy. When Sweetie Belle sees Ripley's old puppy toys, she comes up with an idea. They regroup with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle explains to Zipporwhill that Ripley is no longer a little puppy—he's a full-grown dog—and little puppy toys no longer interest him. She tells Zipporwhill to treat Ripley like the dog he's grown into and find new things to do together with him.

Having overheard Sweetie Belle's lesson, Rarity enters and apologizes for treating her like a little filly. She explains to Sweetie Belle that she loved doing their earlier activities when she was younger and was only trying to recapture that feeling. Sweetie Belle shares her sister's sentiment, and they agree to find new things to do together. As Rarity and Sweetie reconcile, Zipporwhill discovers that Ripley likes to play fetch, and the two successfully reconnect.

Epilogue

Rarity tells Sweetie Belle how proud she is of the pony she has become, and Sweetie Belle is happy that no matter what happens, she'll always be Rarity's little sister. With the little time she has left before returning to Canterlot, Rarity asks Sweetie Belle what she wants to do, and the two share large twin sundaes at the ice cream shop. The episode ends with Rarity and Sweetie Belle smiling for a warm sister photo.

Quotes

For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.

Sassy Saddles: Rarity, did we—?

Rarity: Already hemmed, ruched, and cut, my dear.

Sassy Saddles: [sighs] Oh. Rarity, no reason to panic, but, um, we seem to be temporarily low! And when I say "temporarily low", I mean "completely out of"—!

Rarity: The baby blue sapphires? They arrived this morning.

Sassy Saddles: Oh. Heh. Wonderful. [sighs] Oh! What about the design for the—?!

Rarity: And done!

Sassy Saddles Wow. You are good.

Rarity: And this is when we pretended we were storybook princesses. And here we pretended we were on a dangerous yet stylish safari. [sobs] So many wonderful memories!

Scootaloo: When is she swinging by?

Sweetie Belle: Well, I think she should be arriving right about...

[door opens]

Sweetie Belle: ...now.

Apple Bloom: Wow. You are good.

Sweetie Belle: Rarity, what are you doing here?

Rarity: I am here to spend the day with you! I'm so excited, I could practically faint! You don't happen to have a fainting couch in here, do you?

Rarity: You used to love doing these things with me.

Sweetie Belle: That's just it! I used to! That's not who I am anymore!

Rarity: But it is you! You love puppet shows and dressing up and taking silly photos and tiny little clown-shaped ice creams!

Sweetie Belle: Really?! If you still think I like doing this stuff, then maybe you don't know me at all!

Zipporwhill: It's just hard for me to believe he's not the same adorable little guy I found anymore.

Sweetie Belle: I understand. But doing things like you used to won't turn him back into a puppy.

Zipporwhill: So... what do I do?

Sweetie Belle: Treat him like the dog he is, and find new favorite things to do together.

Zipporwhill: You think so?

Rarity: I know so!

Rarity: The truth is, I know you're not a little filly anymore. But it's just... the last time we did all of those things together, I... I didn't realize it was gonna be the last last time. I loved doing those things with you. It's hard for me to let that go.

Sweetie Belle: Aww, Rarity! I love being with you too! That will never change! But... maybe we could just try to do different things together?

Gallery

Forever Filly image gallery

References

1. ↑ TV Listings Grid - Treehouse. Screener. Retrieved on 2017 April 23.
2. ↑ Jim Miller (2017-05-13). All 3 directors have dogs, so we sent the writers their names and told them to pick one. They chose Ripley. But the design looks.... Retrieved on 2017 May 13.
3. ↑ Jim Miller (2017-05-13). ...a lot like @Fruit_Of_The_Lu's dog Miso.. Retrieved on 2017 May 13.

v • e Episodes, films, and animated shorts

Season one
Episode 1 Friendship is Magic, part 1	Episode 2 Friendship is Magic, part 2	Episode 3 The Ticket Master	Episode 4 Applebuck Season
Episode 5 Griffon the Brush Off	Episode 6 Boast Busters	Episode 7 Dragonshy	Episode 8 Look Before You Sleep
Episode 9 Bridle Gossip	Episode 10 Swarm of the Century	Episode 11 Winter Wrap Up	Episode 12 Call of the Cutie
Episode 13 Fall Weather Friends	Episode 14 Suited For Success	Episode 15 Feeling Pinkie Keen	Episode 16 Sonic Rainboom
Episode 17 Stare Master	Episode 18 The Show Stoppers	Episode 19 A Dog and Pony Show	Episode 20 Green Isn't Your Color
Episode 21 Over a Barrel	Episode 22 A Bird in the Hoof	Episode 23 The Cutie Mark Chronicles	Episode 24 Owl's Well That Ends Well
	Episode 25 Party of One	Episode 26 The Best Night Ever

Season two
Episode 1 The Return of Harmony Part 1	Episode 2 The Return of Harmony Part 2	Episode 3 Lesson Zero	Episode 4 Luna Eclipsed
Episode 5 Sisterhooves Social	Episode 6 The Cutie Pox	Episode 7 May the Best Pet Win!	Episode 8 The Mysterious Mare Do Well
Episode 9 Sweet and Elite	Episode 10 Secret of My Excess	Episode 11 Hearth's Warming Eve	Episode 12 Family Appreciation Day
Episode 13 Baby Cakes	Episode 14 The Last Roundup	Episode 15 The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000	Episode 16 Read It and Weep
Episode 17 Hearts and Hooves Day	Episode 18 A Friend in Deed	Episode 19 Putting Your Hoof Down	Episode 20 It's About Time
Episode 21 Dragon Quest	Episode 22 Hurricane Fluttershy	Episode 23 Ponyville Confidential	Episode 24 MMMystery on the Friendship Express
	Episode 25 A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1	Episode 26 A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

Season three
Episode 1 The Crystal Empire - Part 1	Episode 2 The Crystal Empire - Part 2	Episode 3 Too Many Pinkie Pies	Episode 4 One Bad Apple
Episode 5 Magic Duel	Episode 6 Sleepless in Ponyville	Episode 7 Wonderbolts Academy	Episode 8 Apple Family Reunion
Episode 9 Spike at Your Service	Episode 10 Keep Calm and Flutter On	Episode 11 Just for Sidekicks	Episode 12 Games Ponies Play
Episode 13 Magical Mystery Cure

Season four
Episode 1 Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1	Episode 2 Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2	Episode 3 Castle Mane-ia	Episode 4 Daring Don't
Episode 5 Flight to the Finish	Episode 6 Power Ponies	Episode 7 Bats!	Episode 8 Rarity Takes Manehattan
Episode 9 Pinkie Apple Pie	Episode 10 Rainbow Falls	Episode 11 Three's A Crowd	Episode 12 Pinkie Pride
Episode 13 Simple Ways	Episode 14 Filli Vanilli	Episode 15 Twilight Time	Episode 16 It Ain't Easy Being Breezies
Episode 17 Somepony to Watch Over Me	Episode 18 Maud Pie	Episode 19 For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils	Episode 20 Leap of Faith
Episode 21 Testing Testing 1, 2, 3	Episode 22 Trade Ya!	Episode 23 Inspiration Manifestation	Episode 24 Equestria Games
	Episode 25 Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1	Episode 26 Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2

Season five
Episode 1 The Cutie Map - Part 1	Episode 2 The Cutie Map - Part 2	Episode 3 Castle Sweet Castle	Episode 4 Bloom & Gloom
Episode 5 Tanks for the Memories	Episode 6 Appleoosa's Most Wanted	Episode 7 Make New Friends but Keep Discord	Episode 8 The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
Episode 9 Slice of Life	Episode 10 Princess Spike	Episode 11 Party Pooped	Episode 12 Amending Fences
Episode 13 Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?	Episode 14 Canterlot Boutique	Episode 15 Rarity Investigates!	Episode 16 Made in Manehattan
Episode 17 Brotherhooves Social	Episode 18 Crusaders of the Lost Mark	Episode 19 The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows	Episode 20 Hearthbreakers
Episode 21 Scare Master	Episode 22 What About Discord?	Episode 23 The Hooffields and McColts	Episode 24 The Mane Attraction
	Episode 25 The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1	Episode 26 The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2

Season six
Episode 1 The Crystalling - Part 1	Episode 2 The Crystalling - Part 2	Episode 3 The Gift of the Maud Pie	Episode 4 On Your Marks
Episode 5 Gauntlet of Fire	Episode 6 No Second Prances	Episode 7 Newbie Dash	Episode 8 A Hearth's Warming Tail
Episode 9 The Saddle Row Review	Episode 10 Applejack's "Day" Off	Episode 11 Flutter Brutter	Episode 12 Spice Up Your Life
Episode 13 Stranger Than Fan Fiction	Episode 14 The Cart Before the Ponies	Episode 15 28 Pranks Later	Episode 16 The Times They Are A Changeling
Episode 17 Dungeons & Discords	Episode 18 Buckball Season	Episode 19 The Fault in Our Cutie Marks	Episode 20 Viva Las Pegasus
Episode 21 Every Little Thing She Does	Episode 22 P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)	Episode 23 Where the Apple Lies	Episode 24 Top Bolt
	Episode 25 To Where and Back Again - Part 1	Episode 26 To Where and Back Again - Part 2

Season seven
Episode 1 Celestial Advice	Episode 2 All Bottled Up	Episode 3 A Flurry of Emotions	Episode 4 Rock Solid Friendship
Episode 5 Fluttershy Leans In	Episode 6 Forever Filly	Episode 7 Parental Glideance	Episode 8 Hard to Say Anything
Episode 9 Honest Apple	Episode 10 A Royal Problem	Episode 11 Not Asking for Trouble	Episode 12 Discordant Harmony
Episode 13 The Perfect Pear	Episode 14 Fame and Misfortune	Episode 15 Triple Threat	Episode 16 Campfire Tales
Episode 17 To Change a Changeling	Episode 18 Daring Done?	Episode 19 It Isn't the Mane Thing About You	Episode 20 A Health of Information
Episode 21 Marks and Recreation	Episode 22 Once Upon a Zeppelin	Episode 23 Secrets and Pies	Episode 24 Uncommon Bond
	Episode 25 Shadow Play - Part 1	Episode 26 Shadow Play - Part 2

Season eight
Episode 1 School Daze - Part 1	Episode 2 School Daze - Part 2	Episode 3 The Maud Couple	Episode 4 Fake It 'Til You Make It
Episode 5 Grannies Gone Wild	Episode 6 Surf and/or Turf	Episode 7 Horse Play	Episode 8 The Parent Map
Episode 9 Non-Compete Clause	Episode 10 The Break Up Break Down	Episode 11 Molt Down	Episode 12 Marks for Effort
Episode 13 The Mean 6	Episode 14 A Matter of Principals	Episode 15 The Hearth's Warming Club	Episode 16 Friendship University
Episode 17 The End in Friend	Episode 18 Yakity-Sax	Episode 19 Road to Friendship	Episode 20 The Washouts
Episode 21 A Rockhoof and a Hard Place	Episode 22 What Lies Beneath	Episode 23 Sounds of Silence	Episode 24 Father Knows Beast
	Episode 25 School Raze - Part 1	Episode 26 School Raze - Part 2

Feature films
Equestria Girls	Rainbow Rocks	Friendship Games	Legend of Everfree
My Little Pony The Movie

Specials
Dance Magic	Movie Magic	Mirror Magic	Forgotten Friendship
		Spring Breakdown
Rollercoaster of Friendship	Best Gift Ever	Spring Breakdown

Animated shorts
Rainbow Rocks shorts	Friendship Games shorts	Summertime Shorts	Equestria Girls: Better Together (season 1)
Equestria Girls: Better Together (season 2)	Equestria Girls: Choose Your Own Ending	Equestria Girls Minis	Baby Flurry Heart's Heartfelt Scrapbook
Rarity's Peek Behind the Boutique	Fundamentals of Magic	My Little Pony Established 1983	Friendship is Magic shorts